February 15, 2009

Valentine's Day Follow Up

Yes, Valentine's Day has come and gone, but it's still in the news. For example, it was reported today that the king of Saudi Arabia dismissed the chief of religious police yesterday on Valentine's Day. It is the job of the Saudi religious police to ensure women are covered and men go to mosques for prayer and, above all, the two sexes are separated.

Valentine's Day is a particularly busy day for the religious cops, for they must ensure that no one in the country does anything to mark that day. Red items are banned for sale on Valentine's Day.

And what is the main reason for all this antagonism toward Valentine's Day? Need you ask? The holiday had its origins as a celebration of a Christian martyr. Can't have that in a Muslim country, can we?

And why did the King can the head of the religious police? Politics and religion, what else?

Then there is this story from Mexico City. On Valentine's Day, the city's tourism department organized a kiss-in. Some 40,000 people locked lips in the city center yesterday. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, public displays of affection are encouraged by the government in Mexico City.

The event did have some thought behind it. As the tourism department explained, the kissing event "is aimed at changing people's attitudes toward human relations, especially between couples, so that respect, equity and tolerance are at the center of any relationship."

A lesson that the religious police in Saudia Arabia need to learn. Read more about the kissing event in Mexico City here.

One more thing: I recently acquired a DVR and have begun recording episodes of the sit-com "30 Rock," which I had heard a lot about, but never seen. Now, I love "30 Rock." If you want to see what I'm talking about, go to Hulu.com, where you can view a timely episode entitled "St. Valentine's Day." It is soooo funny. However, fundamentalist Catholics may find it a bit disturbing.